An unlicensed taxi driver had his vehicle seized and another saw his licence suspended during spot checks on more than 70 vehicles during a safety clampdown near East Midlands Airport last week.

The crackdown saw 74 vehicles checked in a bid to drive unsafe taxis out of the Castle Donington airport on Thursday, April 26 - with seven found to have serious defects.

The car that was seized belonged to a taxi driver who was using a vehicle he was not licensed to use, which resulted in police officers taking the taxi.

The driver who had his licence suspended was found to have a host of issues relating to his car, including: failing to have a spare tyre or inflation kit; having a defective headlight; having an out of date first aid kit and having an empty fire extinguisher.

One driver had his vehicle seized (Image: Getty Images)

Licensing officers also concluded there was evidence someone had been smoking in the vehicle, which is a criminal offence.

In total, 74 taxi drivers had checks carried out in a joint operation by North West Leicestershire District Council, Leicestershire Police, the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency and HM Revenue and Customs.

They were also supported by licensing officers from eight other councils in the surrounding areas, as the airport attracts vehicles from across the Midlands.

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Vehicles were tested in a variety of ways to ensure they complied with safety and licensing laws. These included everything from tyre and light checks to fuel samples, which were tested by the HMRC team.

Four prohibitions were issued for drivers failing to have tyres that met safety requirements, meaning the drivers will need to have the offending tyres replaced within seven days and provide evidence of this. A further vehicle was found to have serious accident damage.

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Councillor Alison Smith, deputy leader and portfolio holder for community services at NWLDC, said: "Taxi drivers have a responsibility to ensure passengers get to their destinations safely and the vast majority take this seriously and look after their vehicles.

"There are always exceptions though and it was good to see so many authorities working together to ensure that the high safety expectations are being met.

"A taxi driver is a profession where safety has to be the priority, and as we saw today we have no hesitation in suspending the licences of those that don't comply. I hope this serves as a warning to other taxi drivers – make sure your vehicle and licence are up to scratch or risk losing your livelihood."

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"We work closely with local authorities, the police and other organisations to take unroadworthy or illegal taxis off the road.

"By working together with organisations such as NWLDC, we can better tackle rogue vehicles, helping make Britain's roads even safer."

Inspector Ivan Odell, from Leicestershire Police, added: "Whereas the vast majority of operators were safe and legal, those who chose to operate otherwise will continue to be targeted and may face substantial penalties."